Dani and Jae's Ballistic Adventure

Chapter 3

I have a very positive relationship with food, but just the thought of eating in front of my crush makes me squirm in my chair. Eating side by side? Tolerable. But facing each other? That gives me the ick. The worry of food getting stuck in my teeth, stinky breath—it's all so nerve-wracking!

I headed down to the lobby of the hotel in a casual hoodie and sweatpants, trying to appear nonchalant and chill. But on the inside, I was dying of nerves.

And there he was, the devastatingly handsome Kang Jae-hoon, in a simple black hoodie and grey sweatpants. His soft, slightly messy black hair fell just above his eyes, framing a face that looked effortlessly perfect. Those dazzling, nicely shaped eyes sparkled with mischief and warmth, drawing me in like a magnet. He had that kind of piercingly handsome look that could leave anyone tongue-tied, as if he were carved from the finest marble, and yet so inviting that you couldn't help but want to get closer.

"Hey," I said, walking over to Jae, who smiled.

"Sorry I'm late," Jae shot a grin. "I had to get away from a group of fangirls.

"Oh," I laughed, trying to ignore the pang of jealousy twisting around in my stomach. Jae and I were just friends going out to eat some chicken. Nothing more. "Perks of being an Olympic champion, I guess," I joked, my voice a little higher than I intended.

Jae scoffed. "No shit. You have no idea how hard it is to escape them sometimes. I used to like the attention, but now..."

I snorted. "Maybe you should wear a disguise," I teased, crossing my arms. "Like a blond wig or something."

Jae playfully shook his head. "Like that would totally work."

I shrugged. "You could always try to genderbend."

Jae burst out laughing. "Dani, I do not want to genderbend myself everyday for the rest of my life!"

I burst out laughing as we walked out of the hotel. "I mean, until the Jae-hoon craze dies down."

"Trust me, the Jae-hoon craze will never die," Jae tooted his own horn as I playfully shoved him, making him burst into laughter.

"I'm hungry. Find me food," I pouted.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but it's a 15 minute walk."

I pretended to be annoyed, but a 15 minute walk with Jae sounded even more delicious than the fried chicken.

I sighed dramatically, though deep down I was pretty excited. "Fifteen minutes? Guess I'll survive somehow."

Jae grinned, his eyes glinting. "Don't worry, I'll keep you entertained. You're not gonna die of boredom on my watch."

I smirked. "That sounds like a challenge."

He shrugged casually, like it was no big deal. "I mean, I could just regale you with stories of my heroic Olympic adventures. Or, you know, we could have an existential crisis about potatoes versus rice."

I blinked at him. "Potatoes versus rice? Really?"

Jae nodded, all serious now. "Think about it. You've got to pick one. Which do you save? Potatoes or rice?"

I tried to hold back my laughter. "Okay, this is deep. Indians eat a lot of rice, but... I'd save potatoes. You can make all sorts of fries, chips, hash browns—potatoes are endless."

Jae gasped dramatically. "Sacrilege! Rice is a staple! It's the backbone of civilization."

I crossed my arms, pretending to consider it. "Sure, rice is... important, but potatoes have range."